Tension balancing device



INVENTOR. THEOQO/ff VAN H515 if.

A TTORNEYS.

T. VAN HEEK 2,33,558

NG DEVICE Filed Oct. 19, 1931 Patented Mar. 10, 1936 UNITED STATE FATE? GFEQE 1 Claim.

This invention concerns a tension balancing device, and more particularly means providing an even tension on material which is unwound from a spool, beam or drum.

Compensation of tension during the unwinding of the material is a prime object of this invention.

A further object is to take up under proper tension material which is fed back towards the spool, beam or drum from which it is unwound, when the operations, which the material is subjected to, do not only involve a pulling off from the spool, beam or drum, but also a slipping back of said material.

When material is wound off a large spool, beam or drum, during a manufacturing operation, the weight of the wound mass of material decreases, as the unwinding operation proceeds. This decrease in weight alters of course the resistance of unwinding, no matter how carefully the spool, beam or drum is journalled. By my tension balancing means, I strive to make the tension on the unwinding material independent of the weight of the spool, beam or drum from which it is unwound.

Other objects of my invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of my device, which is illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is a central-perspective view of the rear end of a machine, showing the device of my invention applied to a beam being unwound.

Fig. 2 shows a cross-sectional detail of the tension take-up lever.

The illustrations and the following description have particular reference to the application of my invention upon textile machinery, a loom serving as an example. It is understood that this invention is readily adaptable to other manufactures and uses, in which material is unwound.

Fig. 1 shows the customary risers 3 and 4 upon the sides of the machine, serving as a frame. The beam 34 from which the ends 5 are unwound, is removably journalled in slots in upward extensions 6 of the risers 3 and 4. Upon one end of the shaft I of the beam is mounted a pulley. A bracket 9 rearwardly extends upon that side from the machine, upon which is fulcrumed a lever arm I0. Onto lugs II extending upwardly from the sides of lever II] is hinged a steel band I2 (on pins I3). That band is provided with a leather lining I4, which frictionally engages upon the pulley 8, around which band I2 is looped.

The weight I5 is slidable upon the lever arm II]. It may be set at any distance from the fulcrum by means of set screws I6. The extent, to which the lining I4 of band I2 frictionally opposes rotation of the beam 34, is determined by the distance at which the weight I5 is mounted upon lever arm it], from the respective fulcrum.

Upon the outsides of risers 3 and 4 of the loom I provide cone-pointed screws II which extend in axial alignment through said risers. These screws rotatably support a shaft I8. Upon the shaft I8 are set, by said screws I9, near the ends 10 thereof, the double lever 20, upon the side of riser 4, and the L-shaped lever 2I near riser 3. The latter has a free arm 22 on which is adjustably provided a weight 23 similar to weight I5. It may be fastened in position by set screws 24.

The upwardly extending arms of the levers 20 and H are slotted at their ends. The slots 25 rotatably and removably accommodate the shaft 2% extending from the ends of the roller 21. Upon shaft I8 is rotatably accommodated, between the levers 29 and 2I, a roller 28.

The second arm 29 of lever 2E] carries a roller 30 upon its forked end, which is shown in the drawing to be engaged upon the bottom face of the lever arm It.

The ends 5 extend from the beam around the rollers 28 and 121, underneath the former and over the top of the latter, into the machine. The pull exerted on the ends 5 in the direction 3I determines the angle at which the tension take-up lever is disposed, when under a given weight of the beam the lining I4 of band I2 engages upon said beam at a predetermined friction. If the pull on the ends should be released, and they 35 should be allowed to slip back, the lever tension will correspondingly swing in counterclockwise direction, the counter-weight 23 exerting; pull in that direction. Thus I provide substantially even tension upon the ends. If the pull upon the ends in the direction 3! becomes so great that aside from overcoming the counter-action of the weight 23, the lever arm II] is lifted up, because the roller 30 engages thereupon from below, the retarding friction of the lined band I2 upon pulley 8 is decreased.

It is clear that by means of adjustment of the positions of weights I5 and 23 upon therespective arms, the tension exerted by the devices may be adjusted in such a manner that the tension upon the ends remains substantially the same. In a practical instance,unless there is a back slip in the ends opposite to the direction of arrow 3I,the roller 30 will normally rest against the bottom face of lever arm [0, and the retardation by the brake means,by which I understand the parts attached to lever arm IlL-will be decreased or increased according to whether the tension upon the tension take-up lever increases or decreases. This brings about an even compensation of the tension on ends 5.

While I have shown and described my invention with some degree of particularity, it will be realized that other modifications and changes may be resorted to under special conditions. I therefore do not wish to be limited and restricted to the exact details shown and described, but reserve the right to make such changes and modifications as may fairly fall within the scope of the subject matter now being claimed.

said swing lever predeterminedly is swung by the 10 reaction of said released material, and weights adjustably mounted on each of said levers and regulating the brake tension and the tension with which said roller takes up to slack of the material, respectively.

THEODORE VAN HEEK. 

